Summer Gentle Giants

Duration:

2 days, 2 nights

Tour Type:

Guided Walking holiday

Group size:

1 - 8

Grade:

2 out of 5

£290.00

This walking weekend in Scotland takes you into the heart of the high Cairngorm splendour. Starting at the road end at 2000ft (600m) we climb a similar height again to the summits of two of Scotland’s highest mountains: Ben Macdui and Cairngorm, Britain’s 2nd and 6th highest peaks.

Take yourself out into the heart of the Cairngorms plateau with our qualified, local guide for a bit of me-time on a walking weekend in Scotland. Rejuvenate your well-ness on a mindful, slow adventure in the Cairngorms.

HIGHLIGHTS

The arctic habitat of the Cairngorm Plateau

Ascend Britain’s 2nd & 6th highest mountains

Spectacular views in the heart of the High Cairngorms

Rebecca’s delicious home cooking

An experienced local guide with a background in Geology & a life long interest in the natural world

Day 1

The day begins with by a ascending to Cairngorm’s finest and much overlooked N. ridge. The views across the plateau to Ben Macdui and beyond are stunning – a real mountain wilderness.
We are off to Strathspey Badger Hide to see and learn about the nocturnal habits of these very striking animals.

1050m of steady ascent involving gentle and moderate gradients. 10 miles (16km) of walking on some footpaths but mainly on moderately rough terrain (boulders set in gravel). Approx walking time excluding breaks: 6:30

Day 2

starts with a steady climb into the dramatic “Corrie of the Snows”, Corrie an t-Sneachda. Before getting hemmed in by foreboding cliffs and precipitous slopes we exit left to climb more steeply to gain the plateau rim. From here, with a feeling of elevation and stunning views back down into the corries, the route eases as it takes in the more gentle undulations of the plateau. Amongst typical high Cairngorm splendour of Scotland’s highest peaks and with an ever increasing sense of wilderness we make our approach to Ben Macdui’s mysterious summit and the legend of its Big Grey Man!
Our return leg takes us high above the huge defile of the Lairig Ghru with spectacular views onto the huge cliffs and peaks of Britain’s 3rd 4th and 5th highest peaks. We then make a long gentle drop back down to our starting point to complete this very enjoyable circuit.

Scot Mountain Holidays is the ONLY adventure tour operator in Highlands of Scotland with a combined home and guest lodge. We strive to be more than just an tour. We aim to provide you with a ‘home away from home’ on your adventures. We thought of no better way of doing this than to welcome you into our own home.

Relax by the fire (whisky optional)

We have owned and operated Fraoch Lodge as our home base and business since 1999. In that time, we have come to embrace our guests as members of our extended Highland family.

We source our meals from locally produced and home grown ingredients to provide you with the most delicious flavours and traditions the area has to offer (while minimising our impact on the environment, too). Our dining room and lounge are shared spaces where we gather with guests and friends to share in the holiday and offer you extensive knowledge of your tour.

Home made souffles served with salad fresh from the garden

No matter the season, the Cairngorms and Fraoch Lodge is a place to relax and explore all its beauty and comforts, and we hope to make you feel as at home as we are.

We have achieved Gold Star Awards from the world’s most highly respected green accreditation scheme, Green Tourism, and were awarded Highly Commended in their Green Star Awards 2013 for both Scot Mountain Holidays and Fraoch Lodge. We offer a Green Travel Discount of £15 to any guests who travel to us by public transport. Our primary aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of our holidays, and to this end we donate 1% of the price of our tours to the RSPB’s Abernethy Reforestation project.

It is a holistic approach we have to the care of the environment. Andy your adventure guide has a passion for the natural world – whether it’s the flora, fauna or fungi. He has a background in geology and a lifelong interest in natural history, as well as being a keen gardener. He knows a Golden Plover from a Dotterel, a Green Shank and a Dunlin. He also makes no apologies to being very excitable upon spying a Golden Eagle!

For further information, please don’t hesitate to check out our Environmental Responsibility page, or contact us directly at info@scotmountainholidays.com.